Chapter 5: Another Spider-Man
Spider-Man struggled to push himself off the ground, but his body refused to cooperate.
Loki, delighted that his plan had worked, let out a low chuckle.
Planting a boot on Spider-Man's back, he basked in his own triumph.
"Spider-Man, you said it yourself earlier. I'm the God of Mischief. Never trust what I say or do," Loki said while looking down at him.
"How did you pull this off?" Spider-Man asked through clenched teeth.
"That little gem is a treasure from Asgard's vault. It's called the Hameno Stone. It can absorb a person's strength; Even Thor would be drained in an instant, let alone a mortal like you." Loki lifted his chin with pride.
"Loki, messing around with Asgard's artifacts like this... your father's going to tan your backside when he finds out."
"Spider-Man, I'm starting to admire you. Even on the verge of death, you still have the mind to crack jokes." Loki conjured a massive axe out of thin air and pressed the blade against Spider-Man's head.
"Fine, Loki. I admit defeat this round. That makes the score four to one. Your turn to let me go so I can come back for payback."
"You think I'm as softhearted as you? I never leave enemies alive."
He twirled the axe near Spider-Man's head, voice dripping with malice. "Tell me. After ruining my plans several times, should I really let you off with just one swing? Maybe I should come up with a proper way to make you suffer."
Loki swung the axe menacingly near Spider-Man's head.
"Loki, that joke isn't funny at all." Spider-Man strained with everything he had. He had zero interest in becoming a headless spider.
"Argghhh!"
With a raw shout he finally forced his body to move.
Loki, perched on his back, raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised. Spider-Man's willpower and strength were impressive.
"Impressive, but pointless."
The Hameno Stone on Spider-Man's body glowed with a blue light once more, draining what little strength he had left.
"So this is how you beat me? By leaning on that thing? Imagine what people on Earth and Asgard will say. The second prince of Asgard, the great God of Mischief, only able to beat one mortal with a cheat rock," Spider-Man rambled on, refusing to be silent.
Loki ignored him entirely. Last time he paid attention to Spider-Man's chatter, he lost disastrously. He would not repeat that mistake.
"Oh, I know exactly how I'll torment you. Since you care so much about your teammates, why don't I start with them?" Loki mused.
"What? What are you planning to do to Iron Fist and the others?" Spider-Man's voice cracked with panic.
"That panic on your face is all I wanted." Loki looked genuinely satisfied.
"Loki, this is between you and me. Don't drag others into it."
"This is my hunt. A prey doesn't get to negotiate with the hunter."
Loki turned toward where the S.H.I.E.L.D. aircraft had landed. His expression shifted sharply.
The aircraft was gone.
"Where are they?!" Loki roared in anger.
"Loki, do you like S.H.I.E.L.D.'s newly developed silent flight and quick-start mode?"
Spider-Man's tone had changed completely, light and teasing again.
Loki frowned. "You did this? But I personally dragged you away from the plane. How could you have managed anything?"
"The Iron Spider Armor runs on cutting-edge tech. I can remotely start a S.H.I.E.L.D. aircraft whenever I need to. Never underestimate a mortal, Loki," Spider-Man replied.
"So you were lying to me the whole time?" Loki said through gritted teeth.
"Bingo. How does it feel? The great God of Mischief getting tricked by a regular guy. Imagine the headlines."
Loki's fury surged. The God of Mischief outwitted by a mortal was an insult he couldn't stomach.
"Spider-Man, you forced my hand."
He snatched the Hameno Stone from Spider-Man and poured a continuous stream of magic into it.
The stone's blue glow intensified.
The moment Loki retrieved the stone, Spider-Man felt his body lighten as the draining force vanished.
The light from the stone grew increasingly brilliant, enveloping the entire area in its radiance.
"Loki, I don't know what ritual you're preparing, but I'm sure it's nothing good."
Spider-Man fired a repulsor blast from his palm. The beam streaked toward Loki with destructive heat.
A shimmering barrier formed around Loki and absorbed the attack.
Not discouraged, Spider-Man fired again and again, each blast hammering the shield.
"Save your energy, Spider-Man. Once this ritual begins, nothing can stop it," Loki declared.
"You really think using Asgard's treasures like this won't get you grounded for a century? Your father's going to explode when he hears about it."
Loki ignored him, eyes fixed on the glowing gem.
"Hahahaha! It's done."
The Hameno Stone twisted and reshaped until it formed the silhouette of a person.
Boom!
A tremendous shockwave burst outward the instant the ritual finished. Spider-Man was thrown back and knocked unconscious.
"Warning, warning, armor damage has reached 80%."
"Warning, warning, armor damage has reached 80%."
Red alerts flooded the Iron Spider's display. The armor's panel shows multiple areas of damage.
The noise jolted Spider-Man awake. He shook his head to clear the ringing.
"Release the suit," he muttered.
The armor was no longer combat-ready. Whatever came next, he would have to face it on his own.
With a series of metallic clicks, the Iron Spider Armor folded back into its compact backpack form.
Spider-Man looked toward the place where Loki had completed the ritual.
The snow and ice had melted away in a wide circle, exposing the dense layer of frozen earth beneath it.
The Hameno Stone was gone. In its place stood another Spider-Man at Loki's side.
This one wore a black suit, completely at odds with the classic red and blue.
"Another one? I've lost track of how many spider-clones I've had to deal with since becoming Spider-Man," he groaned.
"Loki, knockoff Spider-Men are old news. Doc Ock ran that gimmick ages ago. If you think one of those will work on me, you're in for disappointment," he called out.
"Clone? No, no, no. Don't insult the Hameno Stone. Doctor Octopus's little experiments could never compare. This isn't a copy. He's you," Loki corrected with a scoff, as if the idea offended him.
To Loki, mortal technology could never measure up to the power of Asgard's relics. Comparing them was practically sacrilege.
"He's me?" Spider-Man echoed, bewildered.