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

A Better Spider-Man

A faint rustling behind her caught her attention. She spun around just in time to see one of the downed goons, barely conscious but determined, struggling to his feet. His hand moved swiftly, reaching for a concealed weapon. Before she could react, he aimed a energy-powered sword directly at her.

Time seemed to slow as Artemis realized what was happening, but she was too late to act. The goon fired a blast of searing energy at her. But before the beam could make contact, Peter, moving with lightning speed, pushed her out of the way. The blast hit him square in the chest, sending him hurtling across the room. He smashed into the wall with a force that would have killed any ordinary person, leaving a spiderweb of cracks in the marble.

Artemis scrambled to her feet, her heart racing as she rushed to Peter's side. She fired a grappling arrow at the goon, tying him up. "Spidey! Are you okay?"

But when she reached him, her breath caught in her throat. Peter was completely unharmed. His suit, enhanced by the symbiote, absorbed the energy of the blast, leaving him more pissed off than injured. His eyes, however, burned with a fury she'd never seen before.

Peter stood up slowly, his gaze fixed on the goon who had dared to attack them. With a growl, he grabbed the wire that still bound the man from Artemis's attack and yanked him off his feet. Without a word, Peter leaped straight through the roof, the ceiling shattering around him as he took off into the night sky, leaving Artemis behind in a whirlwind of debris.

Artemis, stunned for only a moment, quickly fired a grappling arrow at the hole in the ceiling, preparing to follow him. But as she steadied herself, her eyes caught sight of something at the podium near the stage. A large, unmistakable logo—Oscorp.

Her mind raced as she connected the dots. Oscorp... Of course.

Realizing the urgency, Artemis shot another grappling arrow through the opening and swiftly ascended to the roof. Once there, she caught sight of Spider-Man, already a distant figure leaping from building to building, his speed far surpassing hers. Determined, she pursued him, but it was clear that Peter was on a different level tonight. The symbiote's influence made him faster, more agile, and almost impossible to keep up with.

Finally, after several minutes of chasing him through the city skyline, Artemis caught sight of Peter standing on the ledge of a tall building, holding the goon by the collar. The man dangled precariously over the edge, the city lights twinkling far below him.

Artemis's breath hitched as she saw the scene unfold. Peter was no longer the Spider-Man she knew—this was something different, something darker. He wasn't just interrogating the man; he was torturing him.

The goon whimpered as Peter tightened his grip on his collar, the symbiote's tendrils creeping up the man's neck like living snakes. "What do you know about Mister Negative's plans?" Peter's voice was cold, devoid of the usual humor or restraint that characterized Spider-Man.

The man, panicking, stammered incoherently, but Peter wasn't satisfied. He raised the man higher, one hand gripping the goon's throat while the other, covered in the symbiote's writhing tendrils, slowly began to squeeze. The goon gasped for air, his eyes bulging as he clawed at Peter's hand, desperate to escape.

Artemis finally reached the building, her eyes wide with horror as she watched Peter's interrogation escalate. The man was choking, his face turning purple as Peter continued to apply pressure, the symbiote seeming to feed off the fear and pain. It was as if Peter was feeding off it too.

"Tell me!" Peter snarled, his voice distorted, almost unrecognizable as the symbiote's influence took hold.

"I-I don't know!" the goon croaked, tears streaming down his face. "I swear to God, I don't know anything!"