"you're still you"
Peter Parker swung through the concrete jungle of New York City, the cool night air whipping past his masked face. This was his element, his domain - the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, watching over his city.
But tonight felt different. Ever since that fateful battle against Venom last week, when some of the alien symbiote had gotten on Peter's suit, he felt stronger, faster...more powerful. At first he thought it was just adrenaline, but the feeling persisted. And grew.
Peter effortlessly spun a web between two skyscrapers, using it to slingshot himself even faster through the air. He felt invincible. Unstoppable. This new power surging through him was intoxicating.
As he reached the apex of his swing, Peter's spider sense tingled - trouble was near. He looked down and saw a dark van barreling down the street, weaving in and out of traffic dangerously. Peter narrowed his eyes and dove towards it.
With perfect precision, he landed on the roof of the speeding van. "Hey fellas, you picked the wrong night for a joyride," he quipped, webbing the driver's side window. The van screeched to a halt, the doors flying open.
Five armed men leapt out, firing their guns at the red and blue superhero. But Peter was too quick, dodging every bullet with ease. A primal rage welled up inside him as he effortlessly disarmed the men.
"My turn," Peter growled, raining down merciless blows on the would-be thieves. They cried out in pain and fear as he pummeled them relentlessly, losing all restraint. It was only when the last man slumped to the ground, beaten and bloodied, that Peter regained control.
He staggered back in shock. What had come over him? Guilt washed over the young hero. He quickly webbed up the injured criminals and left them for the police, before swinging away into the night, deeply shaken.
"Peter! Earth to Peter!"
Peter blinked, startled out of his brooding. He turned to see Natasha Romanoff frowning at him, her arms crossed.
"Oh, uh, sorry Nat. What were you saying?" Peter asked sheepishly.
Natasha sighed at the boy. "I was going over the mission details for tonight. But you're clearly distracted. Everything okay?"
Peter nodded, avoiding her piercing green eyes. Natasha was like a mother to him, having recruited Spider-Man to the Avengers shortly after his Uncle Ben's death. But right now, he didn't want to worry her.
"Yeah, everything's fine. Just tired I guess," Peter said. Nat raised a skeptical eyebrow but didn't push it.
"Alright then. The mission is simple - we got word that a Hydra cell is moving weapons through an old warehouse downtown. We go in, disrupt the operation, and get any intel we can. Clean and quiet. Got it?"
"Got it," Peter affirmed.
"Then suit up and meet us on the Quinjet in five," Natasha replied, giving his shoulder a supportive squeeze before leaving to gather the rest of the team.
Alone again, Peter took a deep breath, steadying his nerves. He could do this. Whatever was happening to him, he could control it, for the sake of the mission. For his friends.
For his family.
The Quinjet touched down silently on a rooftop overlooking the warehouse. Peter slipped out behind Black Widow, alongside Falcon, Winter Soldier, and Scarlet Witch. They would covertly infiltrate the facility while Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Thor and Hawkeye provided perimeter support.
Natasha glanced back at Peter one more time before lowering her goggles. "You good, Spider-Man?" she asked over comms.
"Never better," he replied. She gave a curt nod and led the infiltration team forward.
Slipping in through a skylight, the heroes swiftly and silently swept through the warehouse subduing guards and securing each room. So far so good.
Finally they reached the main storage area. A huge stockpile of Chitauri weapons and tech filled the space, with over two dozen Hydra agents swarming around it.
"Alright, let's make this quick and quiet," Black Widow instructed over comms. "On my mark..."
But before she could give the signal, Spider-Man dropped down into the middle of the room. "Knock knock, Hydra scumbags," he yelled out cockily.
Natasha swore under her breath as all hell broke loose. Alarms blared throughout the facility as Hydra agents opened fire on the web slinger. But he was untouchable - almost recklessly so.
Peter's moves were vicious and unchecked. He bashed heads, slung men around like ragdolls, and fired webs bursting with excessive force.
"Spider-Man, stand down! We need them alive!" Natasha barked over the comms. But Peter didn't respond, continuing his ruthless assault.
By the time the rest of the team had neutralized the remaining Hydra agents, Spider-Man stood alone among a pile of groaning, seriously injured men. Natasha stormed up to him, fury blazing in her eyes.
"What the hell was that, Peter?" she shouted, getting in his face.
Peter shrank back, suddenly looking very young and afraid under her withering glare. "I...I don't know what came over me," he stammered. "I just lost control."
Natasha's gaze softened slightly, but her jaw remained clenched. "That's happening a lot lately with you. We're going to figure this out, now."
Peter nodded, ashamed. The others gathered around warily as Natasha called for an emergency meeting back at Avengers Tower. Whatever was going on with their friend, it wasn't good.
And they feared this was only the beginning.
"It's that alien symbiote from Venom, it has to be," Tony Stark declared to the assembled heroes.
Peter sat quietly on the couch, dreading the conversation ahead. Natasha paced behind him like a worried mother bear.
Bruce Banner chimed in. "It makes sense. Traces of the symbiote must have bonded to Peter during their fight. It would explain this sudden surge of aggression and power."
"Can you remove it safely, Banner?" Steve Rogers asked the scientist.
Bruce hesitated. "I'm...not sure. We're dealing with an alien lifeform here. It's merged on a cellular level with Peter's biology."
"So what, we just let it take him over?" Sam Wilson challenged.
"No one's letting anything happen," Natasha interjected fiercely. "Peter's family. We look after our own."
Peter finally spoke up timidly. "What if...what if I don't want it removed? This thing, it makes me stronger, fast enough to save more people..."
"At what cost?" Natasha replied softly, crouching before him. "That kind of power, it changes you. I saw it tonight. And I'm not about to lose you to some alien monster."
Peter fell silent again. The others exchanged concerned looks.
"Let Bruce run some tests first," Steve strategized. "Once we know more about what we're dealing with, we can figure out our options."
"In the meantime, someone needs to watch the kid at all times," Clint said. "Make sure he doesn't Hulk out on us."
"I'll do it," Natasha volunteered without hesitation.
Peter started to protest but she silenced him with one look. Her voice left no room for argument.
"You're coming home with me, Peter. We'll get through this. Together."
Over the next 48 hours, Natasha rarely left Peter's side at her apartment. She made him home cooked meals, watched movies with him, and talked for hours about anything he wanted - school, friends, how he was adjusting to superhero life.
But she also kept a close eye on him. Peter grew increasingly restless and agitated as more time passed, lashing out angrily at small provocations.
"I can't take this anymore!" he finally shouted, after Nat gently tried to tell him they had to stay in for his safety. "You can't just keep me prisoner here!"
"No one's imprisoning you," Nat replied calmly. "I'm protecting you, Peter."
"Oh yeah? Doesn't feel that way," he shot back, fists clenched. "Get out of my way, Nat."
Peter tried to shove past her to the door, but she grabbed his arm in an iron grip. "I don't want to fight you, kid. But I will if I have to."
Peter hesitated, conflict raging across his face. For a moment Natasha saw a flash of the Peter she knew and loved.
But it was quickly swallowed up by darkness again. He flung Natasha aside with terrible strength, sending her crashing into the wall.
"I'm done with your protection," Peter growled. Eyes narrowing behind his mask, he stalked towards her menacingly.
Natasha shook her head in dismay as she pulled herself up. "Oh Peter...what's happening to you?"
With a feral yell, Spider-Man attacked.
Natasha's years of combat experience kept her alive against the young superhuman's symbiote-fuelled onslaught. She utilized every trick and gadget in her arsenal just to evade Peter's blows.
"Avengers - I need backup, now!" Natasha shouted desperately into her comms unit, diving behind the kitchen island. It splintered into pieces a second later as Peter hurled the entire thing across the room.
"Hang on Widow, we're incoming!" Steve Roger's voice crackled through.
Natasha leapt and twisted gracefully as Peter swung at her. She hated going on the offensive against the kid, but she had no choice. She had promised to protect him, even from himself.
Latching her electric widow's bite onto Peter's chest, she sent a massive volt charge through him. He seized up, shrieking in pain before ripping the device off.
"I don't want to hurt you, Peter," she pleaded with him. "You have to fight this!"
"There's nothing to fight," he retorted viciously. "This is who I am now."
He sprayed a wide web to ensnare her, but Natasha already had a window open. She leapt out just as the silvery strands closed around empty air.
Using the window ledges Natasha rapidly scaled to the roof, Peter following seconds behind. They faced each other amidst satellite dishes and rooftop machinery.
"You can't run from me," he taunted. "I'm faster, stronger. I'm done being weak little Peter Parker."
Natasha slowly pulled two batons from the holsters at her back. "You were never weak, Peter. Your heart is what made you a hero, not these powers."
Peter just laughed coldly. "My heart? You have no idea..."
With blinding speed he struck, sending Natasha's batons skidding away. His fists pummeled her mercilessly, her body shuddering from the force. She fell to her knees, broken and bleeding.
"Who's the hero now?" Peter mocked, standing over her. He raised his fist for a final blow.
"Still...you..." Natasha whispered, blood trickling from her mouth.
Peter faltered, confusion cracking through the symbiote's control. In that moment of hesitation Natasha surged upward, wrapping her arms around him like a mother hugging her child.
"Come back to me, Peter. I'm here for you," she murmured gently.
"M...Mom?" Peter stammered, the word slipping out unconsciously. His arms hesitantly embraced her back.
But the symbiote quickly reasserted itself, black tendrils lashing out. Natasha cried out as she was flung violently away, slamming into an air vent.
Peter staggered back in dismay. "Mom! Oh god, Mama..."
He clutched his head in agony. "Get out of me!" he screamed at the alien parasite.
Just then Iron Man descended from the sky, repulsors aimed at the struggling teen. "Sorry kid, this is really gonna suck."
The unibeam blast sent Peter toppling over the edge of the roof. But before he could fall far, strands of webbing snatched him from midair.
Peter looked up to see the Avengers arrayed around him - Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Hawkeye, Falcon, Winter Soldier, Scarlet Witch. And Black Widow, being supported by Captain America, still watching over him despite it all.
"We got you, kid," Tony said gently. "We're getting that thing off you, no matter what it takes."
The symbiote lashed violently, trying to break free of the webbing, but the combined strength of Thor and Hulk held Peter immobile.
"Banner, we could really use that cure now," Cap said over comms.
"On our way," came the reply.
Peter thrashed and raged, but the Avengers kept him contained until finally a Quinjet arrived carrying Bruce Banner and his gamma-powered apparatus.
As Bruce powered up the radiating device, Natasha approached the captive Peter, holding his pleading gaze with her own.
"I know you can hear me, Peter. Stay strong, sweetheart. This will all be over soon."
The machine emitted a blinding flash of light. Peter howled in agony as the symbiote peeled away, dissolving under the radiation. At long last Peter Parker collapsed forward, freed.
Natasha was there to catch him.
Peter's eyes blinked open slowly. He was lying in a soft bed in Avengers Tower med bay. Natasha sat sleeping in a chair beside him, her hand gently holding his.
Peter stirred, and immediately Nat was awake. "Hey you," she said tenderly, brushing hair from his forehead.
"Mama...what happened?" Peter croaked.
Nat smiled sadly. "What do you remember?"
Peter's brow furrowed as he recalled the symbiote bonding to him, the rush of power, losing control...attacking Natasha. He flushed with shame.
"Mom, I'm so sorry, I never meant to..."
She shushed him gently. "I know, Peter. It wasn't you."
Peter glanced at the bruises still healing on her face guiltily. "Are you okay, Mom?"
"Nothing serious," Nat assured him. "I've endured far worse. I was more worried about you."
Peter looked down. "The things I said, the way I hurt you...you must hate me."
"Oh Peter." Natasha cupped his chin, turning his face up to meet her loving gaze. "I could never hate you, baby. What that symbiote did wasn't your fault. You're still you."
Peter's eyes watered. "But I was so weak. I couldn't stop it from using me."
"Listen to me," Natasha said fiercely. "You are the strongest person I know. At the end, you fought with everything you had. You came back to me."
A tear slipped down Peter's cheek. Natasha kissed his forehead tenderly.
"I'm proud of you, Peter. Get some more rest, I'll be right here when you wake."
Reassured, Peter slept peacefully, the color back in his cheeks. Natasha watched over him, not as Black Widow the spy, but as the closest thing to a mother he had.
And that was enough to face any darkness that came.
Three Weeks Later
Peter tossed and turned fitfully in his bed, trapped in the throes of a vivid nightmare.
He was back in the symbiote suit, only now it flowed over him like a living shadow, bonding fully with his body. Peter could feel its dark power coursing through his veins, corrupting his mind.
"Yes, embrace it," the symbiote hissed in his ear. "Embrace our destiny."
Peter tried to resist, but was helpless as the suit manipulated him like a puppet. To his horror, he found himself bursting through Avengers Tower, seeking out his unsuspecting friends.
The first Avenger to fall was Sam Wilson. He had barely registered surprise before Peter ensnared him in black webbing and hurled him out a window. Falcon's terrified screams echoed as he plunged from the skyscraper.
"No, Sam!" Peter cried out, agonized. But the monster within him only laughed.
Next was Bucky Barnes. The Winter Soldier managed to fire off a few desperate shots from his rifle before Peter ripped it away and beat him to a bloody pulp, finishing by snapping his neck.
Peter begged the symbiote to stop, only to have it silence him ruthlessly. He was forced to watch himself slaughter friend after friend.
Then, Vision and Wanda Maximoff were overwhelmed trying to breach the suit's psychic defenses. Clint Barton fell from the vents with his neck twisted at an unnatural angle. Bruce Banner didn't even have time to Hulk out before Peter caved in his skull.
Soon the only Avenger left was Natasha Romanoff, currently away on a mission. Peter sat trembling on the floor of the carnage-filled tower, praying she wouldn't return in time.
But return she did. The Black Widow took one look at the gruesome scene and known instantly what had happened.
"Peter..." Natasha whispered in dismay.
"Mom, you have to run!" Peter begged, straining uselessly against the symbiote.
Natasha slowly approached him, hands raised in supplication. "Let him go. Your fight is with me now."
The suit laughed mockingly through Peter's mouth. "Foolish woman. I already won."
With a feral shriek Peter launched himself at Natasha, swiping with razor-sharp talons. She narrowly dodged the blow, pain and betrayal flashing across her face.
Natasha attempted to reason with Peter as they battled across the tower, pleading with him to take control. But it was no use. The symbiote had consumed him utterly.
At last Natasha lay broken at Peter's feet, her body wracked with pain. Still she gazed up at him with endless love and compassion.
"It's okay, Peter," she whispered. "I forgive you."
Peter wailed in anguish, thrashing desperately against his hellish prison. But all he could do was watch as his hands wrapped around Natasha's throat, slowly squeezing the life from her.
"I love you...my son..." were her final words before the light left her eyes.
"NOOOOO!" Peter screamed, bolting upright in bed. His face was wet with tears, body trembling violently.
It took several moments for him to realize it had only been a nightmare. Natasha and the others were still alive.
But the gut-wrenching horror felt so real. Peter couldn't stop replaying the images of ruthlessly murdering his friends, his mother figure. It was too much to bear.
Peter staggered from his bed to the bathroom. Turning on the faucet, he splashed cold water on his face, taking deep gulps of air.
Get it together, Parker, he told himself harshly. You're stronger than this.
But his hands still shook as he gripped the sides of the sink. His stomach roiled with nausea. Sliding to the tiled floor, Peter pulled his knees to his chest and wept.
Natasha drifted slowly awake to the sound of muffled sobs coming from the bathroom. Instantly she was on alert, rushing to Peter's side.
She found him curled up on the floor, looking utterly distraught. His face was pale and damp with perspiration, eyes red-rimmed.
"Peter? What happened?" Natasha asked gently, crouching down.
Peter turned shame-filled eyes up at her. "I...I had a nightmare. About the symbiote. I killed you, Nat. All of you. And I couldn't stop it!"
Fresh tears spilled down his cheeks. Natasha's heart broke for him. She wrapped her arms around Peter, pulling his head to her chest.
"Shh, it's alright," she soothed, stroking his hair. "I'm right here, Peter. We all are."
Peter clung to her, his body wracked with sobs. "It felt so real. The things it made me do..."
"Listen to me," Natasha said firmly, taking his face in her hands. "That wasn't you. It was just a bad dream."
Peter glanced away, ashamed. "But I really hurt you, when the symbiote had control..."
Natasha turned his chin back to meet her gaze. "And I told you, that wasn't your fault. There's nothing to forgive, Peter. All I care about is that you're safe now."
She smiled tenderly at him, brushing a tear from his cheek. Peter managed a small, grateful smile in return.
After sitting with him for several more minutes, Natasha helped Peter to his feet. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up."
She led him to the sink, gently washing his face with a cloth. Peter closed his eyes, leaning into her caring touch.
When Natasha had finished, she wrapped a warm, fluffy robe around Peter's shoulders and guided him back to his room.
Sitting on the edge of his bed, she pulled Peter close. He curled up with his head resting against her shoulder.
Natasha stroked his hair soothingly. "I'm here, Peter. Try to sleep."
Lulled by her warmth and the steady rhythm of her breathing, Peter's eyelids soon grew heavy. But each time he started to drift off, the horrific images returned, jolting him awake.
After the third time this happened, Natasha shifted position, leaning back against the headboard and guiding Peter to lay with his head on her lap.
"I've got you, sweetheart," she murmured. "You're safe."
Peter released a long, shuddering breath as Natasha's fingers carded gently through his curls. She began to hum an old Russian lullaby, one that her mother had sung to her as a child.
The haunting, comforting melody dispelled the last shadows of Peter's nightmare. Nestled in Natasha's lap, he finally slipped into a deep, peaceful sleep.
Natasha stayed with him the whole night, keeping the demons at bay. And in the morning light, they were just a distant memory.
A few days later, Peter made his way hesitantly to the training room. Steve Rogers was there wrapping up a session, and looked up in surprise when Peter entered.
"Peter, hey. Everything okay?"
The teen took a breath. "Actually, I was wondering if I could get back into training. Feels like time to be Spider-Man again."
Steve looked at him closely. "Only if you're absolutely ready, son. No pressure."
Peter met the captain's gaze resolutely. "I'm ready. I miss it, helping people. And I know I've got you guys to keep me in check."
Steve smiled and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "You always did. Welcome back, Spider-Man."
They started off slow - target practice with his webs, agility drills. Peter cherished the familiar burn of his muscles as he twisted and flipped through the air.
When Natasha walked in an hour later, she had to pause a moment just to take in the sight of Peter laughing joyfully as he fired webs at Steve's shield. The captain pretended to stagger back from the impacts, making Peter giggle.
"Alright spiderling, let's see your moves," Nat challenged with a grin.
Peter's face lit up when he saw her. "I was hoping you'd get here soon. I gotta show you how much I've gotten back in shape!"
"Bring it on then," Nat replied, beckoning him forward.
Steve cleared out to give them space for sparring. Peter bounced on the balls of his feet excitedly across from Natasha.
"Go easy on me to start?" he joked.
Natasha smirked. "I make no promises."
They circled each other slowly. Peter struck first, a testing jab. Nat deflected it and aimed a kick at his ribs, which he narrowly avoided.
"Gotta be faster than that, little spider," Nat teased. Peter's competitive side kicked in. He pressed the attack with a flurry of blows and acrobatic flips, trying to catch her off guard.
But Nat anticipated and countered everything he threw at her. After a few minutes she swept his legs out from under him, pinning him lightly to the mat beneath her.
"I yield, I yield!" Peter laughed, tapping out. Nat rolled off and helped pull him to his feet.
"You're getting there," she commended. "Just have to remember your training."
Peter's grin faded. "I know. It's hard not to rely just on instincts and...aggression."
Natasha tilted his head up. "That's why we're taking it slow. We'll get through this the right way, together."
Peter managed a small smile again. "Thanks for not giving up on me, Nat."
"Never." She kissed his forehead. "Want to go again?"
Eyes lighting up, Peter nodded and got back into a fighting stance. No matter how many times he got knocked down, Natasha was there to help him back up stronger.
With her at his side, he could face anything.
Over the next few weeks, Natasha hardly let Peter out of her sight. She knew he was still struggling with residual trauma from his ordeal.
Peter appreciated Nat's protectiveness, but also felt guilty. "You don't have to babysit me all the time," he protested lightly after she insisted on accompanying him on a routine patrol. "I'll be okay."
Natasha gave him a knowing look. "Humor me. I just want to make sure my spider baby isn't pushing himself too hard."
Peter flushed at the nickname, but soon found himself enjoying swinging through the city streets with Black Widow by his side. Having Nat there kept the darker memories at bay.
That night back at the tower, the other Avengers good-naturedly teased Peter about his "spider mom." But their gentle ribbing came from a place of care.
"Seriously though, it's good to have you back, kid," Tony said, ruffling Peter's hair affectionately. The others all voiced their heartfelt agreement.
Later, as Natasha tucked him into bed, Peter looked up at her earnestly. "Thank you, Mom. For everything you've done for me."
Nat smiled down at him. "Of course, Peter."
"No, really," he insisted. "You didn't give up on me. You're...you're..." Peter faltered, almost scared to say the word out loud.
Natasha squeezed his hand understandingly. "It's okay, Peter. I know."
Peter took a deep breath. "I just never had anyone like you before, besides May. Someone who made me feel...loved. Protected." His voice hitched slightly. "Like how I imagine a mom would be."
Natasha's eyes glistened with tears. She kissed Peter's forehead, keeping her lips pressed there for a long moment.
"I'll always protect you, my sweet boy," she whispered. "Now get some rest. I'll be right here if you need me."
Peter nestled into his pillow, finally at peace. His family had brought him back from the darkness.
And as long as Natasha was watching over him, he had nothing more to fear.