[The Bronx – M, 10:07 AM]

  Skarlet turoward the voice, her crimson eyes narrowing as a gang of men stepped into the alley. They were ordinary humans—street thugs armed with baseball bats, knives, and brass knuckles. Their leader, a scruffy man with a sneer pstered across his face, waved a crowbar menagly.

  "Freak, you say?" She smirked.

  "You reek of blood, too much blood. So... What's a freaky thing like you doing in our alley?" he sneered. "Lost, are we?"

  Skarlet smirked, her lips curling into a predatrin. "Lost?" she asked, her voice silky and amused. "Hardly. But perhaps you help me... I want to kill some pathetis."

  The leader chuckled, taking a step closer. "Oh, you are paring us to worms, alright. Let's see if you say that after we bang you up."

  Skarlet's grin widened. "Perfect."

  Before they could react, she flicked her wrist. Blood tendrils shot from her palm, skewering two of the men instantly. Their bodies jerked and spasmed as their blood was siphoned, flowing into Skarlet like crimson rivers. She let out a low, satisfied moan as her pale skin flushed with life.

  "Humm~ Not too tasty, but this will do..."

  The remaining men screamed, dropping their ons and running. Skarlet snapped her fingers and their blood oozed out of their faces, pooling into the air. They couldn't even scream as their eyes popped out and they fell to the ground. The blood in the air quickly formed into twe bdes—bdes that she promptly used to chop them up to pieces before abs the blood.

  Theurned her attention to the leader, who stood frozen in fear.

  "Still feeling brave?" She asked, taking a slow step forward.

  The man stumbled back, stammering ily. Skarlet sighed. "Pathetic." With a casual wave of her hand, she crushed him against the alley wall with a surge of blood magic. His body slumped, lifeless, leaving a smear of red behind.

  Suddenly, her senses fred. Her survival instinct screamed at her to run away. But she didn't have time to react. She turned around, just in time to see a fsh of gold and red energy shooting from the sky. Peter Parker appeared, his t-shirt and jeans repced by a bck suit covered with faint golden patterns that shimmered with celestial energy. His eyes glowed blue as he hovered above the alley.

  "You've been busy," Peter said with a cold tone as he looked at the mess behind the girl. "But your bloody party's over."

  Skarlet's eyes narrowed. She almost fot to breathe. His presence radiated power—more than she'd ever entered. Even her father, Shao Kahn's energy pails in parison to this energy. At that moment, she khat there was no esg that monster before her. So, she might as well fight till the end.

  She licked her lips. "Peter Parker."

  "In the flesh," He replied as he nded on the ground. "And you're about to tell me who you are and what you're doing here."

  Skarlet chuckled, taking a step closer. "I've heard of you, Peter Parker. The so-called 'stro warrior of this realm.' I wonder..." Her voice dropped to a sultry whisper. "...if your blood tastes as powerful as you look."

  Peter raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, that's not creepy at all. Listen, dy, you've got about ten seds to expin yourself before this gets messy."

  Skarlet's grin turned feral. "Oh, I hope it does."

  She lunged, summoning a spear of blood and hurling it at Peter with blinding speed. Peter's reflexes kicked in, his hand snapping up to catch the spear in mid-air. The blood on hissed and evaporated as it touched his celestial energy.

  "Bad move," Peter said with a smirk. He extended his hand, and a golden pulse erupted, surrounding them. The alley shimmered and vanished, repced by ay, endless void bathed in a soft, amber light. The grouh their feet felt solid but surreal, as though it were made of pure energy.

  "What is this?" Skarlet demanded, her voice sharp as she gnced around.

  "An isoted dimension," Peter replied, his voice eg slightly in the vast space. "No interruptions, no colteral damage. Just you and me."

  Skarlet's lips curled into a wicked grin. "Perfect."

  She thrust her hands forward, unleashing a barrage of blood daggers that streaked toeter. He dodged effortlessly, weaving through the projectiles with supernatural speed.

  "It's been a while since I fought someone of your level. Show me more!" He yelled with a rge grin.

  Skarlet snarled, summoning a wave of blood to crash over him like a tidal wave. Peter raised a hand, and the blood froze mid-air, suspended in glimmering red droplets.

  "Impressive," he said, flig his wrist to send the blood scattering harmlessly. "But yoing to have to try harder."

  Skarlet growled, her crimson eyes bzing. She summoned a whip of blood, shing it toward him. Peter sidestepped, then tered with a burst of golden energy needles from his fiips that sent her skidding back.

  "Still holding back?" she taunted, wiping a trickle of blood from her lip. "Afraid I might hurt you?"

  Peter's eyes narrowed. "You wao take this seriously? Fine."

  In an instant, he was in front of her, his fist glowing with celestial energy as he struck her iomach. The impact sent her flying, skidding across the ground. She groaned, clutg her midse as she staggered to her feet. 'Impossible! I couldn't transform into my blood form?! What the hell is that power?' She wondered.

  "You're strong," she admitted, her voice tinged with both pain aement. "But so am I."

  She raised her arms, and the blood within her body surged outward, f a swirling, crimson vortex arouhe air grew thick with the metallic st of blood as she unleashed her full power. The vortex densed into a massive blood golem that towered over Peter, its eyes glowing with red energy.

  "Let's see how you hahis!" Skarlet shouted, direg the golem to attack.

  "Oohh! That's a rick," Peter didn't flinch. He raised his hands, summoning a barrier of golden light that absorbed the golem's strikes. The two forces cshed, sending shockwaves rippling through the dimension. "But it's not enough." With a burst of power, he shattered the golem into a rain of blood.

  Skarlet luhrough the crimson storm, her hands glowing with dark magic as she aimed for Peter's chest. He caught her wrists effortlessly.

  "Enough," he said, his voice firm. "You're done."

  Skarlet struggled, her eyes glowing with rage. "Not yet!"

  She tried to manipute his blood, but his celestial energy made him immune. Her trol slipped.

  "Uumm... That won't work on me," Peter said smugly, letting out a chuckle. He leaned closer, whispering in her ear. "And dy, you are way out of your league. Now, if you think I won't torture you just because you are a woman, you're mistaken. I believe in gender equality. You see, I don't want ao say that I'm being unfair to them... Even in torture."

  He tightened his grip on her wrists.

  "Now, who the hell are you? Why did you e here? Who sent you? Who are you w for?!" he demanded.

  Skarlet gritted her teeth as Peter's celestial energy coursed through her, immobilizing her movements. The golden glow emanating from his body felt like sunlight on a vampire, overwhelming her senses and sappirength. But she refused to yield. Her loyalty to her father, Shao Kahn, was absolute.

  She met Peter's glowing blue eyes with defiance, her crimson irises shining with blood magic. "You break my body, warrior," she spat, "but my loyalty is unbreakable. I will not betray my father."

  Peter's grip tightened slightly, his expression hardening. "Your father? So this is more than just a random rampage. Who is he, and why send you here? Don't make me drag it out of you."

  'Damn it! I 't even trol my own blood anymore... But...' Skarlet let out a bitter ugh, blood trig from the er of her mouth. "You think you scare me? Torture me? I was fed in agony, tempered in suffering. Yht ot extinguish me."

  Peter's brow furrowed. "Fed in agony? You've been twisted into something cruel. But I 't let you go unchecked. If you won't talk willingly—"

  He was interrupted as the grouh them quaked. Skarlet's blood, scattered across the void, began to coalesce, f shadowy tendrils that soward her. Her lips curled into a triumphant grin.

  "You uimate the power of blood magic," she hissed. The tendrils surged toward her wrists, breakier's grip with a force that sent him skidding back.

  'What the hell? Her power isn't following the w of this reality! Something weird's going on here. I need answers. I guess, I'll just have to enter her mind.' He flipped over and nded with ease. "Oh, I get it now," he said, his tone calm but ced with disappoi. "You're not just loyal to your father, you're his puppet."

  Skarlet's eyes narrowed. "Puppet? I am his chosen! His greatest creation! Shao Kahn gave me purpose, power, and life. I exist to serve his will!"

  'Fug hell! Mortal Kombat! This realm is fucked. God! I hope this isn't one of those time-hopping messy shitty stories from the game. Sigh!' Peter shook his head. "And that's the tragedy, isn't it? You're so blinded by his trol, you 't see what you've bee."

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