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

Rise Of A New Enemy

Peter sat on the lawn, the cold night air nipping at his face despite the warmth of his jacket. He stared at the ground, replaying his earlier argument with Harry in his mind, the bitter words lingering like a bad taste. The world around him was quiet, but his thoughts were loud, each one sharpening the guilt and anger twisting in his gut.

Footsteps crunched in the grass behind him. He didn't look up right away, but he knew who it was even before she spoke.

"Mind if I join?" Zatanna's voice was gentle, cutting through the silence.

Peter looked up, offering a half-hearted smile. "Be my guest." He gestured to the space next to him on the lawn.

She settled down beside him, drawing her coat tighter around herself as she glanced at him with a knowing look. "May's teaching M'gann some new coking recipes."

He huffed, rubbing his hands together to keep warm. "M'gann definitely needs it."

They laughed together before they sat in silence for a moment, gazing up at the stars, the stillness between them somehow comforting. Zatanna broke it softly.

"You know, I can feel it. That... darkness around you." she said, choosing her words carefully.

Peter tensed, but didn't turn away. "Guess you're one of the few who could sense it."

"Are you going to tell me what it is?" she asked, keeping her tone light, almost as if she was asking about the weather.

Peter hesitated. He thought about telling her everything right then and there, unloading all the fears and regrets that had been weighing on him since the symbiote entered his life. But he wasn't ready for that, and he wasn't sure anyone would really understand.

Zatanna noticed the hesitation and immediately apologized, "I'm sorry. You don't have to-"

"No, no. It's fine... I... it's complicated," he said instead, attempting a smile but failing.

She nodded, as though she'd expected as much. "Complicated seems to be the theme of our lives, doesn't it?"

Peter laughed, the sound soft and a little bitter. "More like a full-blown circus at this point."

Zatanna chuckled, and they shared a small moment of quiet laughter that faded into a more comfortable silence. She tilted her head, watching him thoughtfully.

"Sometimes," she said, choosing her words slowly, "we let things into our lives thinking we can handle them, thinking that maybe they'll make us stronger, help us face things we couldn't before."

Peter's gaze dropped. He knew she was right, but he didn't want to admit it. Not out loud, not yet.

Zatanna's voice softened. "But then... sometimes they take more from us than they give. And by the time we realize it, it's hard to let them go."

Peter swallowed, her words hitting closer to home than he cared to admit. She didn't know about the symbiote, but somehow, it felt like she did.

"You're... you're not wrong," he murmured, looking down at his hands. "But what if... what if it's too late?"

Zatanna shook her head. "It's never too late to make the right choice. You're stronger than whatever's holding you back, Peter. Sometimes strength is about letting go, not holding on."

He glanced at her, catching the earnest look in her eyes. Her belief in him, even without knowing the full story, felt like an anchor, pulling him back to solid ground.

Peter sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It just feels like... every time I try to fix things, I end up making them worse. Hurting the people I care about."