"Ryuuto!"
The moment Natasha saw that familiar face through the haze of fire and smoke, her chest tightened. Relief crashed over her like a wave. The chaos, the fear—it all vanished. Because when he showed up, everything always changed.
"As long as Ryuuto's here… nothing's impossible," she whispered, almost to herself.
Ryuuto landed lightly beside her, red eyes gleaming through the smoke. "Natasha, stand back. I'll handle this clown."
He vanished in a blur. One instant he was there, the next—a streak of scarlet lightning tore through the air. A shuriken, forged in chakra flames, screamed toward the Green Goblin.
"Wha—?!"
For the first time that night, the Goblin flinched. The weapon sliced through his airspace like a thunderbolt, forcing him to jerk his glider away. Sparks erupted as his lasers met the spinning blade, explosions rippling through the street.
"Boom! Boom!"
He lost altitude, swearing furiously as the shockwaves rattled his balance. "You think a toy like that can hurt me? Pathetic!"
"Pathetic?" Ryuuto's voice came from above, cold and sharp. "Let's test that theory."
Before the Goblin could look up, his glider jerked violently. Sticky threads clung to its wings, yanking him sideways.
"What—spider webs!?" His head snapped around in disbelief.
From the opposite building, a figure in a white-and-pink suit swung into view, her movement graceful yet packed with power.
"Hey, pumpkin freak!" she called. "Name's Spider-Woman. You're under arrest—by me!"
Gwen's webs tightened, wrenching the glider's flight path like it was a toy plane. The Goblin snarled, yanking at the threads. "Another masked pest!? What is this city, a circus!?"
Meanwhile, Natasha barely had time to react before a strong arm caught her midair. She gasped, looking up to see Ryuuto smiling down at her.
"Are you hurt?" he asked, still holding her close.
"I—no, I'm fine," she breathed, cheeks flushing despite herself. His calm confidence was infuriatingly reassuring.
Ryuuto chuckled, brushing some dust from her hair. "Good. You did great holding out. Now let me end this."
The words shouldn't have made her heart race—but they did. Natasha could fight gods and monsters, but this man's grin was lethal in a completely different way.
"Another self-righteous fool!" the Goblin roared, ripping Gwen's webs apart with brute strength. "You think you can stop me!?"
He lunged. The glider roared, spitting sparks as he aimed to impale Gwen midair.
But Gwen was faster. She vaulted backward, flipped, and fired two precise shots—thwip! thwip!—webs slapping right across his face.
"Argh! You damn spider!" He clawed at the sticky mess, completely losing control as the glider spiraled.
Down below, the cops who'd once cowered now cheered, voices rising over the chaos.
"She's winning! Spider-Woman's got him!"
"Teach that psycho a lesson!"
The Goblin's rage boiled over. "I'll tear you apart! You and your stupid webs!"
"Try it," Gwen shot back, flipping onto a streetlight. "You're nothing but a bully with bombs. That's all you'll ever be."
The two clashed midair, her acrobatics meeting his brute firepower in a flurry of light and smoke. Every swing, every explosion lit up the night like fireworks from hell.
On a nearby rooftop, Natasha gripped Ryuuto's arm. "She'll be okay, right? Maybe I should back her up, just in case—"
Ryuuto smirked. "Relax. Gwen's tougher than she looks. That Goblin isn't half the nightmare he thinks he is."
He gently tapped her nose, his voice low and calm. "If things go south, I'll step in. He's not getting away from me."
Natasha exhaled, tension leaving her shoulders. "I believe you." She leaned against him, eyes following the fight above.
The Goblin, furious at being mocked, suddenly ripped open a compartment on his glider. His laughter echoed through the smoke.
"You think you've seen crazy?!" he bellowed. "Let's see you dodge this!"
He hurled a storm of pumpkin bombs into the air.