Spider-Man Mayhem

[Third Person's PoV] 

With a powerful stroke of his arms, Nightwing propelled himself downward into the black depths below. He moved through the water with an ease and grace akin to a fish in its natural element.

"My God!" he exclaimed, marveling at his newfound speed. "I'm in my element!" He executed a backflip and surged forward once more, creating large ripples as he powered through the water.

As he sped along, his keen eyes began to notice various underwater creatures. At first, they were simple fish, nothing dangerous or exotic yet, but their presence hinted at the thriving life around him.

"Say, how fast am I actually going?" Nightwing asked, slicing effortlessly through a school of fish, which scattered in every direction as he passed.

Aria's voice chimed in through his communicator. "Based on your speed and depth, you're moving at approximately 250 miles per hour—or 402.3 kilometers per hour. It seems you're faster in water than on land," she informed him.

Nightwing grinned. "I can go faster!" he declared enthusiastically.

"Yeah, but slow down, hotshot," Spider-Man's voice interrupted. "You're heading into uncharted territory. Remember, only about 5% of the ocean has been explored. Take a moment to appreciate it."

Nightwing groaned but knew Spider-Man had a point. He reduced his speed and began to truly take in his surroundings. As he swam deeper, the light from above faded, and darkness enveloped him. Slowly, his enhanced vision adjusted, and his night vision activated.

"Whoa…" he murmured, captivated by the eerie beauty around him. Glowing bioluminescent jellyfish drifted lazily, their lights illuminating patches of the inky blackness. A small squid floated in front of him, its tiny form barely visible in the gloom.

Curious, Nightwing reached out and tapped the squid lightly. It responded by ejecting a burst of black ink before darting away. He chuckled at the interaction, his smile widening as he noticed the fish around him growing more exotic. A lionfish floated nearby, its spiny, venomous fins swaying hypnotically in the current.

As he admired the scene, a soft voice sang in his ear.

"🎶 Under the sea, under the sea,

Darlin' it's better, down where it's wetter,

Take it from me… 🎵"

Nightwing burst out laughing, caught off guard by Spider-Man's impromptu serenade.

"Nice one, HA!" Nightwing said, his laughter echoing through the communicator. With renewed energy, he pushed downward again, weaving through clusters of sea creatures as he went and joined Spider-Man in the singing.

As he descended further, Nightwing began to feel the increasing pressure of the deep ocean. It didn't hinder him, but he could sense its weight. "It's gotten a bit heavier down here," he reported.

"That means you're entering the truly unexplored depths," Spider-Man replied, his tone serious. "Be careful, bucko."

"Sure thing, Dad~," Nightwing teased, grinning.

Before Spider-Man could respond, Nightwing's hyper-instincts kicked in, and he dodged sharply to the side as a massive jaw snapped shut where he'd just been.

"Whoa!" he shouted in surprise, turning to face his would-be attacker. A giant great white shark loomed before him, its size far exceeding the typical dimensions of its species. Its massive, predatory form sent a chill through the water as it turned to face him again.

Nightwing narrowed his eyes at the massive shark, surprised to see it mimic the gesture. Suddenly, the predator shot forward at an unnatural speed, slicing through the water with its jaws wide open, revealing row after row of serrated teeth.

Nightwing twisted through the water, evading the relentless predator. Despite his agility, the great white pursued him, its speed almost matching his own.

Both figures blurred as they rippled and darted through the ocean, their movements a chaotic dance of survival and predation.

"Isn't it moving a bit too fast for a shark?" Ghost-Spider's voice crackled through the comms.

Nightwing spared a glance back at the relentless beast, annoyance flickering in his eyes. "I'm no marine biologist," he muttered, "but you might have a point."

He stopped swimming and turned to face the shark head-on. The creature surged forward, mouth agape, aiming to end the chase. Timing his strike perfectly, Nightwing shot forward and delivered a powerful uppercut to its snout. The impact reverberated through the water with a resounding thud.

Blood clouded the water as the shark somersaulted away, dazed. Nightwing reached into a pocket and pulled out a sleek device resembling a USB stick. It was a sample scanner—a tool designed to analyze chemical compositions and transmit the data.

He held the scanner near the floating blood, letting it do its work.

"So, what do you think?" he asked, eyeing the shark as it sluggishly circled back. Its nose was bent from the blow, and when Nightwing raised his fist again, the creature hesitated, backing off slightly.

He scoffed, muttering, "Coward."

Spider-Man's voice came through the comms, answering the earlier question. "The sample was slightly compromised by the saltwater, but Aria managed to isolate the essential components. Turns out it's been mutated—enhanced, really—by radiation."

"Radiation?" Nightwing asked, his brow furrowing behind his visor.

"Yeah," Spider-Man confirmed. "The source appears to be Vibranium at the ocean floor. Aria cross-referenced data from Wakanda. When something is exposed to Vibranium's radiation over time, it mutates. You remember the Black Panther, right? The one Aria mentioned in Wakanda, Their powers come from a heart-shaped herb bathed in Vibranium radiation."

Nightwing pieced the rest together. "So, the deeper we go, the more mutated sea creatures we'll encounter."

"Exactly," Spider-Man said as data began displaying on Nightwing's visor.

Nightwing grinned. "Goodie. More animals for me to fight."

Spider-Man sighed. "Just remember, we've got the Anti-Metal onboard. The webbing's keeping it contained, so don't overdo it. We can't afford to compromise the mission."

"I know, I know," Nightwing replied, waving off the warning. "Don't worry."

With that, he plunged deeper into the dark abyss. As he descended, the water grew heavier and the light dimmer, but Nightwing remained unfazed.

The further he swam, the more bizarre creatures appeared. Some ignored him entirely, and he left them be. But others weren't as passive.

A massive anglerfish with a glowing lure swam toward him, its bioluminescent headlight flickering hypnotically. Nightwing narrowed his eyes as his thoughts grew momentarily sluggish. Shaking off the strange pull, he grabbed the lure, spinning the fish around like a flail until it was too dizzy to resist. With a grunt, he flung it into the darkness, sending it spiraling away.

As Nightwing descended further, he encountered a massive octopus—or at least something resembling one, as it had far more than eight tentacles. It lunged at him, its writhing appendages aiming to ensnare him. Nightwing swam swiftly, dodging its strikes while grappling the attacking limbs. With quick reflexes and sharp movements, he tangled its numerous tentacles into a tight knot, leaving the creature immobilized and flailing helplessly.

"Good luck getting out of that," Nightwing quipped before swimming away.

His next encounter, however, was less threatening and far more bizarre—a blobfish with its squished face and bulbous nose.

Spider-Man's voice came through the comms. "Oh no. It's one of those sad meme fish. Look at that face!"

Nightwing burst into laughter. "It's like someone tried to sculpt a fish but gave up halfway!"

For a solid ten minutes, the two heroes proceeded to mercilessly tease the blobfish, coming up with increasingly ridiculous insults and impressions of its expression.

However, their amusement turned to guilt when the blobfish's expression shifted. Its droopy eyes welled up with tears, and it began to silently cry, looking even sadder than before.

Nightwing and Spider-Man froze.

"WE'RE SORRY!" they both yelled, voices filled with panic.

"We didn't mean it!" Nightwing cried, swimming closer. Overcome with guilt, he hugged the blobfish tightly, tears streaming down his own face. "You're not ugly or weird! You're perfect just the way you are!"

"Put me on speaker!" Spider-Man pleaded. "I need to apologize too!"

Nightwing complied, and Spider-Man's voice came through loud and clear. "Don't listen to haters, little guy! You're amazing just the way you are. I bet a super-sexy blobfish is out there waiting to fall in love with your incredible personality!"

If they bullied it for 10 minutes, they supported it for the next twenty minutes, the two heroes showered the blobfish with compliments and reassurances, completely shifting from bullies to its biggest cheerleaders. By the end, the blobfish sported a goofy, carefree smile, and both Nightwing and Spider-Man cooed in unison.

"Aww~"

"Can we keep him?" they both asked eagerly, utterly enamored.

"No," came the unanimous response from the girls.

Ghost-Spider stepped in with a scientific explanation before they could protest. "It won't survive in low-pressure water."

Both Nightwing and Spider-Man let out heavy sighs, their expressions crestfallen as they said tearful goodbyes. Even the blobfish seemed to shed a few tears as it happily swam away.

The moment was short-lived. A tiger shark appeared out of nowhere, devouring the blobfish in one swift gulp. Blood trickled from its mouth as it swam away nonchalantly.

Nightwing and Spider-Man stared in stunned silence, their expressions shifting from disbelief and horror to sheer rage.

"..."

"..."

"YOU MOTHERF***ER! YOU'RE GOING TO PAY!" they both screamed, tears streaming down their faces.

"HOW DARE YOU EAT BLOBBY!" Spider-Man bellowed. "HE HAD HIS WHOLE LIFE AHEAD OF HIM!"

"HE WAS GOING TO START A FAMILY! HE HAD ASPIRATIONS, DREAMS, AND YOU TOOK THEM AWAY!" Nightwing roared.

The tiger shark, utterly confused, swam in circles, oblivious to the fury it had unleashed.

Nightwing shot forward, his fists glowing with a fierce energy fueled by his Ki. "WE'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!"

With a single, devastating punch, a shockwave rippled through the water. The tiger shark was obliterated instantly, leaving nothing but silence and a faint cloud of blood.

Both heroes remained in place, their shoulders trembling as they cried openly for their fallen friend.

Back on the ship, Scarlet-Spider sensed Spider-Man's grief through their connection. She walked over to him and gently rubbed his back, leaning her head against him in silent support as he hunched over the console.

Felicia and Lizzy, standing nearby, had both removed their masks. Lizzy gave Felicia a bewildered look that clearly asked, 'What just happened?'

Felicia shrugged. Her expression read, Don't ask me. 'I'm as lost as you are.'

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