Chapter 248: Ultimate Spiderman V
Taskmaster crashed into the rooftop with a brutal thud, the stone beneath him cracking under the force. He gasped, his suit flickering with damage indicators. He rolled to the side just before a secondary gravity spike could pin him in place.
Despite the pain, he forced himself up, red light flashing across his visor as internal diagnostics whirred to life. "You're talented, I'll give you that... but untested," Taskmaster spat, his tone strained. "And worse—inconsistent."
Dave just chuckled, arms crossed now, his coat fluttering slightly in the breeze. "Coming from a guy who copies everyone else's moves, that's rich."
"You think magic makes you unbeatable?"
"No," Dave replied with a calm smile. "But it makes me... creative."
Taskmaster staggered to his feet, jet-boosts firing just enough to keep him steady. "You're dangerous."
"And you're not the first to say that," Dave replied, his tone sharpening. "Now run along, copycat. Unless you want to see what happens when I stop holding back."
Taskmaster narrowed his eyes. His HUD was blaring at him—injuries, suit instability, critical threat analysis: Dave Garcia ranked as high as any known meta or enhanced in SHIELD's database.
With a low growl, Taskmaster tapped his wrist, triggering emergency evac protocol. A retrieval drone zipped in overhead.
As it latched onto his back and began lifting him up, Taskmaster looked down one last time.
"You're ten times stronger than your file says," he admitted. "But also ten times more unpredictable. That's what makes you dangerous."