The transition from the classroom to the open turf of the school playground was instantaneous. Su Yi walked with an unnerving, deliberate calm toward the center of the lawn, the crowd of students streaming behind him.
Though only a fraction of the school, the onlookers quickly formed a dense, expectant ring around the two antagonists. This was about to become less a fight, and more a public execution of the school's social order.
Gwen Stacy rushed up beside Su Yi, her usual collected demeanor replaced by frantic worry. "Su Yi, I'm serious. You need to walk away. Flash just wants to prove he's the alpha male. You're smarter than this; this isn't a battle you can win with brute force!"
Su Yi glanced at her, offering a genuine, reassuring smile—the kind that makes a beautiful woman pause. "Thank you for the concern, Gwen. But retreat is not in my code. I promise, I am going to teach him a lesson in respect that will fundamentally change his worldview."
He paused, his eyes gleaming with playful sincerity. "If I manage to deliver this important life lesson to Flash, will you agree to that coffee I mentioned? I feel like a man who just defeated a gorilla deserves a celebratory espresso."
Gwen's eyes widened, a flicker of surprised amusement battling her anxiety. "You're still flirting, even now? Fine. Yes. If you beat Flash Thompson—and I mean, if you walk away without a trip to the hospital—I'll buy you the most expensive latte in the city. But if you lose, I'm taking you to the emergency room, and then I'm giving you a lecture."
"A fair wager," Su Yi accepted smoothly. "Perhaps a little encouragement would help with my concentration?"
Their exchange, intimate and utterly calm, infuriated the mountain of muscle stomping toward them. Flash Thompson felt utterly disregarded—his prey was casually wooing a goddess while ignoring his terrifying presence.
"HEY! Skinny Monkey!" Flash roared, his voice thick with frustration, interrupting their conversation. "The man you're about to fight is right here! Why don't you call the paramedics now? Save them a trip!"
Su Yi turned, his smile gone. His gaze was sharp and challenging. "I was waiting for your apology, Flash. I believe I requested it. Since you've chosen violence over basic courtesy, I'll simply extract that apology after the demonstration of your inferiority."
Flash was nearly two meters tall, a dense, hulking figure whose shoulders looked wide enough to block a doorway. Su Yi, though fit and well-proportioned, seemed slender in comparison. The size difference was vast, a visual cue that immediately prejudiced the audience.
Flash's two habitual hangers-on started whooping aggressively.
"Flash is gonna turn him into a puddle!"
"Look at that Eastern fool, he's trembling!"
"He won't last three seconds! I bet five bucks he breaks his nose on the first hit!"
"I'll take that bet! Flash hits harder than that! Ten bucks he's unconscious before his feet leave the ground!"
The collective energy of the mob was barbaric, feeding Flash's ego. Su Yi listened to the taunts, registering the casual arrogance and the deeply ingrained "might makes right" mentality. This was exactly the environment he needed to shatter.
"Ready to be humiliated, Flash?" Su Yi asked, his stance shifting subtly, adopting the balanced, neutral position perfected by the Batman template. His consciousness filtered through the System: Intelligence Level 3 was analyzing Flash's sloppy footwork; Combat Experience Level 2 (freshly integrated) was running thousands of counter-scenarios.
"I'm going to make you eat that hair, little man!" Flash bellowed, adrenaline surging. He coiled his massive frame and launched forward, a freight train of rage and poor technique.
Flash swung a powerful, crude haymaker, aiming for Su Yi's head. It was pure, unfiltered brawn—all speed and muscle, with zero finesse.
To the audience, Su Yi appeared paralyzed by fear. His body seemed frozen, his eyes fixed on the oncoming fist.
"Uncontrolled momentum. Predictable arc. Too much windup." Su Yi's mind calculated the trajectory, the force vector, and the exact moment of impact. The System confirmed the risk: he could knock Flash out instantly, but that might cause permanent damage and complicate his debut. He needed a demonstration of control and absolute dominance.
Just as the meaty fist was a centimeter from his face, Su Yi executed the simplest, most effective counter.
He tilted his head just enough to let the wind of the blow graze his ear. Simultaneously, his Level 3 Strength translated into a left hand that shot out with blinding speed, wrapping around Flash's wrist with the unyielding grip of a steel vice.
SHOCK. SILENCE. TOTAL FREEZE.
The roaring, cheering crowd instantly went dead quiet. The air thickened with disbelief.
Flash's massive, high-speed punch had been caught. Not swatted away, not deflected—but simply held, as if a small boy had paused a swinging tire.
"Wh… what?" someone finally whispered, the sound cracking the silence like a dropped glass.
"No way! Flash's best shot was stopped cold!"
"Did you see that? It was like... he wasn't even moving!"
"That's impossible! Flash is a linebacker!"
Flash himself was utterly stunned. His arm was locked solid, his powerful momentum abruptly arrested. The raw, immense strength in Su Yi's grip was unlike anything he had ever felt. His fist felt trapped in the powerful clamps of an industrial machine, and no matter how hard he tried to pull or twist, Su Yi stood perfectly still, unmoving as an oak tree.
"In terms of brute force, Flash, you are deficient," Su Yi stated calmly, his voice easily cutting through the stunned silence. "As for technique… you are amateur."
Before Flash could even process the insult, Su Yi's Level 3 Strength activated fully. He gave a violent, calculated tug on Flash's arm. The sudden, overwhelming force dragged the behemoth forward. Flash stumbled, his balance completely lost, crashing directly into Su Yi's space.
The fight, which had been a slugfest, instantly transformed into a masterclass. Su Yi became a blur of controlled, precise motion.
Feint and Redirect: Su Yi spun slightly, leveraging Flash's own forward momentum.
Rapid Disablement: His fists moved like pistons, landing rapid, controlled strikes—not to the face, but to nerve clusters and pressure points: the brachial plexus at the shoulder, the floating ribs, the solar plexus. Each blow was a targeted, non-lethal impact, designed to steal breath and control without breaking bone.
The Clinch: Su Yi grabbed Flash by the collar and, utilizing a perfect judo throw (Combat Experience Level 2 in action), executed a stunning, effortless Ogoshi (Major Hip Throw).
Flash, nearly a hundred kilograms of muscle, was lifted clean into the air, sailed through the space Su Yi had just vacated, and crashed heavily onto the lawn with a painful thud.
It was over in less than three seconds. The move was fluid, graceful, and absolutely definitive. The great school bully lay gasping on his back, utterly defeated, looking like a beached whale.
The audience erupted. The shock was replaced by sheer, exhilarated awe.
"HE DID IT!"
"Su Yi! That was CRAZY!"
"He took down Flash without even raising his voice!"
"That's not human strength! Who is that guy?"
Gwen Stacy stared, her beautiful eyes wide with profound disbelief and a strange, thrilling excitement. He actually did it. Not only did he beat him, but he made it look like a dance. Her previous fear was replaced by a powerful surge of respect and fascination.
Nearby, Peter Parker watched the man who was meant to be his rival. Peter's face was a study in conflicting emotions: relief that Flash was finally humbled, but also an agonizing pang of inadequacy.
"I could never do that. If I had that strength... I could help people. I could protect MJ... I could protect Gwen."
Ned Leeds, Peter's best friend, was bouncing in excitement. "Holy smokes, Peter! Did you see that technique? That's like something out of a Hong Kong action flick! The man is a destiny breaker!"
Even the usually aloof Liz Allen was captivated. "Okay, Betty, I revise my statement. He's exceptionally handsome when he's delivering righteous fury."
Mary Jane pushed through the crowd, her professional instincts kicking in. Flash is neutralized. This guy is a sensation. He could be my ticket out of here. She felt a sudden, powerful pull toward the powerful, collected figure standing over the fallen bully.
The matter wasn't concluded. Su Yi stepped over to the prone Flash, looking down at the defeated titan.
"Flash," Su Yi's voice was cold, devoid of the earlier sarcasm. "Look up at the people who witnessed your defeat. You rely on size and cruelty. I rely on control and skill. Who is the lowly one now?"
Flash grunted, trying to push himself up, but his core muscles were locked, his limbs leaden. The nerve strikes ensured he was immobilized without serious injury. He was defeated, humiliated, and speechless.
"You still owe me an apology, Flash," Su Yi pressed. "Not just to me, but to the entire concept of respect. You called me weak. You called my people inferior. Now, I suggest you find your manners before you find your feet."
Flash glared up, his eyes swimming with hatred and frustration, but he couldn't form the words. The physical humiliation was complete, but the moral victory had yet to be seized. Su Yi would not let him off that easily.
"Can't even admit defeat? Can't even apologize when the facts are undeniable?" Su Yi scoffed, shaking his head with theatrical disappointment. "You're not a man, Flash. You're a broken toy. And frankly, you're not worth the full effort."
Su Yi turned his back on the humiliated bully, leaving Flash to stew in his shame. He looked directly at Gwen, his expression softening instantly. The crowd parted respectfully, every eye following the new alpha male of Midtown High.
"I believe that warrants a celebratory latte, Miss Stacy. Perhaps we can discuss a few things about the future of this school—and a certain upcoming tragedy."
He had protected Peter's anonymity, secured a date with the key character, and earned an inevitable influx of Fate Points. The timeline was officially breached.