The Amazing Spider-Man of Young Justice (Season 1)

A Little Break

The Baxter Building; October 2, 15:37 PM

Peter had arrived at the Fantastic Four's base of operations the day after. While he obviously was happy to have the symbiote, he still needed it to be checked by the right people. Susan was always the best biologist, even better than Reed. So he trusted her opinion before anyone else.

Peter Parker stood in the sleek, modern lab of the Fantastic Four's headquarters, watching intently as Susan Storm peered through the microscope at the small piece of the symbiote. It had been an eventful few days, and while Peter felt a strange exhilaration from his newfound powers, he knew that he had to understand what he was dealing with.

"Anything?" Peter asked, his voice tinged with both curiosity and concern.

Susan lifted her head from the microscope and sighed. "Peter, I've looked at this from every angle I can think of. I don't have much experience with symbiotes, but from what I can tell... This one is particularly attached to you."

She reached for a transparent tube where the symbiote was trapped, its black, viscous form pulsating and writhing. As soon as she picked it up, the symbiote immediately began to rush towards Peter, straining against its containment. Susan quickly formed a small force field around it, preventing it from leaping at him.

Peter raised an eyebrow. "Ya think?" he said dryly, stepping back instinctively.

Susan nodded, her expression serious. "Yes. It's fascinating—and a little terrifying. It might be because of your abilities. When the symbiote was released, Superboy, a much more powerful being than you, was in the same room. Yet it chose you."

She set the shielded symbiote back on the table, watching as it continued to writhe, seemingly desperate to reconnect with Peter. "This isn't something we can take lightly, Peter. I'll need to conduct more research to understand how we can safely remove it."

Peter frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. "And if you did have a way now, why not just do it?"

Susan hesitated, choosing her words carefully. "Peter, you were shot by a blast of who knows how many megatons and still survived for a bit. That's an incredible feat on its own. The symbiote healed you from the brink of death. We don't know if it's even done healing you. If we remove it too early, the healing could go with it, and you might begin to die again."

Peter's eyes widened, and he took a step closer to the table, staring at the symbiote. "So, it's keeping me alive?"

"In a sense, yes," Susan confirmed. "It might be ensuring your survival because it needs you as a host. Symbiotes bond with their hosts to survive. And sometimes, these bonds... can be incredibly difficult to unbind, even if you have their weakness."

Peter swallowed hard, his mind racing. The symbiote had saved his life, but at what cost? 

"How long do you think it will take to find a way to remove it safely?" he asked, his voice softer now, tinged with a hint of desperation.

Susan shook her head. "I can't say for certain, Peter. Symbiotes are complex organisms. They adapt and evolve quickly. But I promise you, we'll figure this out. We'll find a way to safely remove it without endangering your life."

"Thank you, Susan."

Afterwards, Peter exited the Fantastic Four's headquarters, lost in thought about his recent conversation with Susan. The weight of her words still hung heavy in his mind as he stepped onto the bustling streets of New York. As if on cue, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out to see Artemis's name flashing on the screen.